The invention relates to a non-polluting engine. More particularly, the invention relates to an engine that produces oxygen as a gaseous byproduct.
Since the industrial revolution, air polluting has been a problem of increasing gravity. Since most machines burn carbon-based fossil fuels, the byproduct of most combustion engines is a carbon-based gas, such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is especially poisonous, and creates a grave danger to humans. Other by products of standard combustion engines damage the ozone layer, pollute or skies, and then fall back to the earth and pollute our lakes and rivers, as well as the soil.
Conventional internal combustion engines operate by introducing a mixture of oxygen and a combustible fuel, such as gasoline, in a chamber known as a cylinder. Once in the cylinder, the mixture is ignited, causing rapid expansion of the fuel mixture that forces a piston to move outwardly. The motion of the piston is translated into rotary motion of a crank shaft by a connecting arm that extends from the piston and is eccentrically attached to the crank shaft.
Following the “power cycle”, the piston forces the byproducts of combustion to be expelled during an “exhaust cycle”. As previously noted, typically these byproducts include carbon monoxide, and other harmful substances. Modern automobile engines have pollution control devices that remove some, but not all pollutants from the exhaust before it is expelled into the atmosphere.
The search for alternative fuels became intense in the 1970's, when a shortage of fossil fuels forced us to closely study other sources of energy. With all of the research that followed, however, few practical solutions were proposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,291 to Marion discloses an oxygen gas generator. Marion does not, however, produce mechanical energy during the oxygen generation process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,124 to Kainthla et al. discloses a rechargeable electrochemical cell with modified manganese oxide positive electrode. U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,152 to Sato et al. discloses a fuel cell that produces oxygen. These devices do not, however, produce mechanical energy during operation.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.